To start a thread about the new uc and how it affects entitlement to tax credit.

How many people actually know how this will affect their personal circumstances?Millions of workers will be affected and so many people will lose out. This is not welfare cuts for the unemployed its anybody not working for 35 hours earning the minimum wage.

i have read up a little on this but don't quite understand it, i keep seeing contradictions.

i am unsure how it wil affect my personal circumstances. i'm self employed and i work 18 hours, can't afford the childcare to work more hours. my earnings vary from week to week, but i'm yet to make more than £60 a week, so i'm very worried.

It is going to affect the self employed quite drastically. I can't provide a link as computer/me is useless. Google your question and there is a very good explanation. Dh is self employed/small business and its not good for us. You may be better depending on your circs.

morethanpotatoprints thanks for the info, i will google it. i do not like this government, they make me feel very uneasy. i am a very low earner anyway with this bloody economy and unfortunately tax credits are a god send and i rely on them.

I only know what I have read and heard on the news but I think many are not aware of the situation and how it will impact on their lives.I understand p/t workers will be forced into finding work that adds up to 35 hours a week at the minimum wage.

I know this won't affect us directly as we have never claimed tax credits out of worry that they'd screw up and claim them all back from us and we don't earn anything close to enough to have child benefit removed.

It does all make me uneasy though - reducing benefits when there are enough well paid jobs is one thing, to do so in times of such high unemployment and with such a low minimum wage seems very unfair.

Debs. I'm sorry, I don't know either. I know people on jsa have to be looking for work for 35 hours and tax credits/new uc they have to work min of 5 hours.I think if you are claiming tax credits you fall into the uc system of 35 hours per week at the minimum wage.

It is so hard to get exact rules and facts, nothing sets it out clearly. Bits and bobs I have read lead me to think that at least one of a couple with children needs to be working full time or at least available for full time work and there are financial sanctions if this isn't the case, I've not seen anything about what happens if the other person is a student.

No we are on Income Support as one dc is disabled so dp is carer and I am studying whilst he has the 2 youngest who are 2 and 4. When they are in school he is probably going to look for work if it will fit in with Uni and shifts

Perception, ALL parties talk as if they're going to win the next election. What do you suppose it would do for their chances if they shrugged their shoulders and said, "Ah well, we've got no chance, so we haven't bothered with a manifesto this time!"

I haven't seen a calculator but know most who are worried are so about the 35 hours and min wage ruling. It appears that people working less than 35 hours will be badgered into finding more hours or be penalised. There are several articles but they have conflicting reports. It depends if you are the mails "feckless" or the Guardians 1 million working.

The basics seem to be this. If you work part-time, and rely on Tax-Credits, Housing Benefit or any kind of benefit to make ends meet then you'll see some big changes.

You will not be eligible for full UC if you work between 5 and 35 hours, and don't earn more than the equivalent of 35-hours worth of minimun wage. This is an "incentive" to get you to look for more work, apparently.

The government will assume that people in part-time work should be looking for full-time jobs, and they will make you go to the job centre, along with the unemployed, to prove that you are looking for full time work.

The job centre will be able to set up interviews for you at 48 hours notice, which you must attend. Failure to attend (twice was it?) will mean a cut in UC for you.

If they find a job for you which has more hours or is better paid, you will have to take it or face cuts to your UC (even if the long term prospects are worse, or makes your journey much longer, or one of many other reasons you might like to stay in your current job).